Police say danger of DUI is present during daytime, too

by Sarah Rice (srice@wsbt.com)

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Drunk Driving Crash Aftermath

On August 16, Carol and Kenneth Ragsdale were on their way to a car show. Police say Derek Dygulski, 30, crashed into their car on Lincoln Way East, killing Carol and seriously injuring Kenneth.

By WSBT News1

Story Created: Oct 31, 2008 at 5:05 PM EST

Story Updated: Nov 6, 2008 at 11:58 PM EST

St. JOSEPH COUNTY — A South Bend man will be sentenced Wednesday for a drunk driving crash that killed a Mishawaka woman and seriously injured her husband.

The crash happened in August just after 7 a.m. It's not the time of day many people associate with DUI crashes, but even in broad daylight, police say the threat of a drunk driver remains.

Police showed WSBT dash cam video of a drunk driver at night in Mishawaka. Unaware of his surroundings, the driver weaved in and out of traffic and even hit a car.

Police say most drunk driving crashes happen after the sun goes down, but that doesn't mean the threat goes away when the sun comes up.

"Let's say they're out until 2:30 in the morning and it's Saturday morning. They have to work at six and they only get an hour of sleep. And they're on their way to work they're still above the legal limit and they get in a crash and hurt somebody," said St. Joseph County DUI Task Force Commander Lt. Tim Williams.

Kimberly Heirman and her two sisters lost their mother to a drunk driver this past summer.

"We're still in disbelief about our mother," said her sister, Jennifer Mammolenti.

On August 16, Carol and Kenneth Ragsdale were on their way to a car show. Police say Derek Dygulski, 30, crashed into their car on Lincoln Way East, killing Carol and seriously injuring Kenneth.

"It's been hard for us to grieve as sisters being that we've had so much with our father," said Mammolenti.

Kenneth is still recovering both physically and emotionally.

The threat of a drunk driver doesn't end on the streets. Officials say pedestrians can also become victims.

"During the day you add more people out and about, more so than even other drivers. You have school kids that are doing crosswalks. You have people walking babies. You have a number of things that happen during the day the you don't see at two or three in the morning. But the danger level of a drunk driver is the same at whatever the time of the day it happens," explained St. Joseph County Deputy Prosecutor Eric Tamashasky.

St. Joseph County Police arrested 25 people last year for DUI between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. Officers hope to catch even more drunk drivers during the day through a program called Aggressive Driving.

"We focus on things like disregarding automatic signals, running stop signs, speed, anything that would be aggressive in nature. These offenses are commonly committed by people who have been drinking too much," said Williams.

"Nobody looks at them as accidents anymore. DUIs are very serious crimes and when you chose to drink and drive kills or seriously injures somebody, there's going to be serious consequences that you're going to have to face," said Tamashasky.

But the victims also face consequences — consequences that have changed the lives of this family forever.

"My mother would be alive today if he'd been more responsible," said Heirman.

Police say drivers and pedestrians can also help get drunk drivers off the streets. They encourage people to always report aggressive driving no matter what time of day it may be.

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